by USA TODAY

by USA TODAY

LAC-MEGANTIC, Quebec (AP) - The president and CEO of the railway's parent company said Wednesday an employee failed to properly set the brakes of the train that crashed into a town in Quebec, killing at least 15 people.

Edward Burkhardt, president and CEO of Rail World Inc., made his comments during his first visit to the town where dozens of people are still missing following Saturday's fiery crash.

"It was questionable whether hand brakes were put in place at this time," Burkhardt said. "I don't think any employees removed brakes. They failed to set the brakes."

He said a train engineer has been suspended without pay.

"I think he did something wrong. It's hard to explain why someone didn't do something. We think he applied some hand brakes but the question is did he apply enough of them," Burkhardt explained. "He said he applied 11 hand brakes we think that's not true. Initially we believed him but now we don't."

Burkhardt, who arrived with a police escort, was heckled by angry residents said that he had stayed in Chicago to deal with the crisis in his office, where he was better able to communicate with insurers and officials in different places during what he described as 20-hour work days.

The railway boss promised an energetic response to the humanitarian crisis.